Archive for the ‘growing and gathering’ Category
the colour of October #2 – Red Oak
Our leaves have reached the ‘world on fire’ stage. We took a drive along the St. John River to our cabin yesterday and were immersed in reds, oranges and yellows. I particularly like the Red Oak leaves. They lag behind the Red Maple – some are still green. But a few younger trees show vermillion and orange and purple to rival the maple.
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October 12, 2013 ‘Oak leaves’ Jane Tims
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Copyright 2013 Jane Tims
the colour of October #1- Virginia Creeper
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Our Virginia Creeper comes from a shoot I collected along the banks of the St. John River over 30 years ago. It grows on our power pole. Some years it makes great progress and gets to the top of the pole to grow along the wires. Other years it struggles to gain any hold at all after damaging winds, or if the power company decides it needs cutting back. The last few years it has grown into the neighboring bushes. As a result, my lilacs seem to have mutant leaves and turn scarlet when the other lilacs are a sickly yellow.
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This year the Virginia Creeper leaves are shot with holes from the same insect infestation plaguing them last year.
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October 7, 2013 ‘Virginia Creeper’ Jane Tims
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Copyright 2013 Jane Tims
the colour of September #5 – red rose hips from pink roses
I have the funniest rose bush in my front yard.
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It bore double yellow roses for the first few years of its life. Then, in recent years it has become a pink rose, with the frailest pink petals.
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I know how this happened – not ‘alchemy’ at all, but an example of survival of the fittest. The original yellow rose must have been grafted to the root stock of a common rose. When the yellow rose stem died for some reason, the pink rose stock flourished. I love my frail pink roses , especially at this time of year when they produce bright red, elliptical rose hips.
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September 22, 2013 ‘red rose hips from pink roses’ Jane Tims
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Copyright 2013 Jane Tims
the color of September #4 – a toasted tomato sandwich
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Of all the produce of September, I think I enjoy tomatoes the most. I like fried green tomatoes, tomatoes in chili con carne and toasted tomato sandwiches. If you have never eaten a toasted tomato sandwich, you should try one. Toast two pieces of whole wheat bread, slice the tomatoes very thin and add mayo, salt and pepper.
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Now that I have finished my watercolor of tomatoes, and they are no longer needed for the still life, I think I’ll have another sandwich …
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September 14, 2013 ‘tomato red’ Jane Tims
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Copyright 2013 Jane Tims
the color of September #3 – a purple crocus from a brown bulb
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This morning, thinking of the long winter, I planted a dozen crocus bulbs. The package promises large, dark purple blooms in early spring.
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I planted them in small groups, in front of my concrete bench. When they bloom in spring, I will be able to see them from my library window. After a long winter, a glimpse of those brave petals poking above the dry leaves will be so joyful.
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The crocuses we have now are bright purple and yellow. I planted them years ago, when my son was young. They have endured all these years and have even spread to other, distant parts of our property. I think the squirrels must dig them up, rebury them and forget where they have stashed their treasure.
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So, deep within the sienna brown of the bulbs is the makings of those purple petals. Wow!
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Copyright 2013 Jane Tims
the color of September #2 – bunches of radishes
The reward of a recent visit to a local farmer’s vegetable stand – bunches of radishes.
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Painting with red is very rewarding. First, a little color goes a long way – I am still working with the small tube of paint I bought back in early June. Second, red wakes me up the way no other color can.
I did two paintings, one of the bunch of radishes, fresh from the vegetable stand, and one of an individual radish, fresh from the ground, dirt washed away. Hope you like them!
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August 31, 2013 ‘a bunch of radish red’ Jane Tims
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September 1, 2013 ‘radish red’ Jane Tims
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Copyright 2013 Jane Tims
the color of September #1 – squash on the vine
A visit to a friend’s garden and a look at the riot of squash growing in her compost heap has helped me transition from August summer to the pre-autumn days of September. I love the color orange, but I did not know how much fun it would be to try and capture the orange of the squash in watercolor. I hope you like my trio of September squash-on-the-vine paintings.
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August 30, 2013 ‘squash on the vine #1’ Jane Tims
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August 30, 2013 ‘squash on the vine #2’ Jane Tims
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August 31, 2013 ‘squash on the vine #3’ Jane Tims
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Copyright 2013 Jane Tims
bringing nature into the town
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rows of trees and flowers along la Place de la Mairie in Saint-Hilaire-la-Palud (image from Street View)
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map showing distance travelled (map from Google Maps)
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On my virtual bike trip on April 3, the images made me think about how we bring nature into our cities and towns (or allow it to stay!). Sometimes, the only bit of nature is a stray weed, growing in a crack in the pavement…
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streetscape in Grande Rue, Saint-Hilaire-la-Palud – actually, there is lots of greenery in other parts of the town (image from Street View)
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Sometimes, property owners try to leave trees, only to have them toppled – perhaps a wind storm blew through Saint-Hilaire-la-Palud …
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toppled tree (image from Street View)
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Sometimes people bring the country into the town – all part of eating local …
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this is the first time I have seen chickens in a yard in a town on my virtual bike tour (image from Street View)
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Of course, I have seen a lot of vegetable gardens in France, planted in every available corner …
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vegetable garden in Saint-Hilaire-la-Palud (image from Street View)
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Best View: a small yard overflowing with greenery in Saint-Hilaire-la Palud…
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Copyright Jane Tims 2013
featuring a 1941 International truck
I have had a few poems accepted for publication recently. These include ‘abandoned resort hotel, Devil’s Head’; ‘Berries in Cellophane’; and ‘1941 International K-4’. They appear in Issue 10 (Spring, 2013) of The Lion’s Head Magazine (online). You can have a look at these three poems at http://lionsheadpress.blogspot.ca/
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‘Berries in Cellophane’ is from my manuscript on growing and gathering local foods.
The poems ‘abandoned resort hotel, Devil’s Head’ and ‘ ‘1941 International K-4’ are both part of a series, not yet completed, on abandonment. This series began my interest in abandoned churches, and lead to the novel I am now working on – ‘Saving the Landing Church’.
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The poem ‘1941 International K-4’ was inspired by an old International truck, seen in a wood lot in southern New Brunswick in the fall of 2011. It was set up on steel drums and looked like it was no longer used. Rusted and out-of-commission, she was still elegant to behold. The poem came easily, written in the ‘voice’ of the truck, recalling its various adventures.
Have a look at the poem in Lion’s Head Magazine and let me know what you think.
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Copyright Jane Tims 2013
gathering eggs
When we visited my grandfather’s farm in the 1960s, boredom was never a problem. Every day brought a new discovery or learning. One of the best activities was to help in the gathering of eggs.
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gathering eggs
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first breath after rooster presses
crowbar under sun catches
dew in the three-angled strawberry leaves
and light pings sapphire,
red, amber, emerald to opening eyes
I see Dandy waiting
black and white counterpoint to rainbow
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he greets me, ignores
the chickens scratching
along random lines, we trek
to the barn together
push the man-door, open the pen
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Diane has promised a gather
of eggs, shows me how
to shoo the hen, part the straw,
roll the egg into my hand,
build the stack in the basket
set each in a three-angled
cradle of eggs
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Dandy watches the rooster
red comb and wattles,
amber neck, iridescent tail
ignores white eggs and chickens
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Previously published as ‘gathering eggs’, Canadian Stories 15 (84), April 2012
Copyright Jane Tims 2012
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